James Kicinski-McCoy is a writer, specializing in creative marketing and branding, is a co-founder and editor of Mother Magazine, and co-owner of Two Son. She lives with her husband and four children in Nashville, Tennessee.

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MONTREAL STYLE BAGELS

04/07/2014

Last week we made from-scratch bagels. They’ve always been on my ‘must make’ list and i’m so happy that we finally tried out a recipe. A friend of mine has always raved about Montreal bagels and that nothing compares to them. We found a great recipe from The Gouda Life, and goodness, I don’t think we’ll ever go back to store-bought bagels. These were so the best I have ever had. My friend even approved and said they were very similar to the real deal. Now I just need to head up north and try one for myself! These bagels will definitely be made again and again. The kids devoured them and that’s always a good sign.

In a bowl, stir yeast and warm water together. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit for 5-7 minutes, until bubbles appear. Next, pour sugar, salt, oil, honey, egg and the yolk into the bowl of yeast, whisk until combined. Pour in 1 cup of the flour and stir until incorporated. Add in the remaining 3 cups of flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. It will be kind of sticky and shaggy, but no worries.

Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead together, slowly adding the 1/2 cup of flour if needed. We ended up only needing about half the amount. Knead everything together for about 10 minutes. The dough should feel supple and smooth. With the dough remaining on your work surface, cover it with an inverted bowl and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Take the risen dough and divide it into 18 equal portions. Carefully stretch and roll the dough pieces out until they are about 8 inches in length. Bring the ends together to form a circle and pinch the ends to seal. Make sure the ends are sealed well or else they will open during the boiling process. Place bagels on two parchment lined baking sheets, cover with a kitchen towel and let them rise for 20 minutes.

While the bagels finish rising, bring 16 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. When the water comes to a boil, add in the baking soda and honey. Turn down the heat to a simmer. When ready, add the bagels into the simmering water, two at a time. Allow the bagels to cook for 1 minute per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place into either seed mixture. Coat one side of the bagel and place back on the baking sheet. Repeat with all bagels.

Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Place one sheet of bagels into the oven to bake for 10-12 minutes or until they begin to brown on the bottom. Flip bagels over and cook for another 5-8 minutes, watching carefully after 5 minutes to make sure they don’t overcook. The bagels should be golden brown.

Serve warm alone or with your favorite toppings. The bagels keep well in airtight container in the fridge for about one week…but trust me, they won’t last long!

Bread works best out of the fridge! Airtight container / bread box on the counter should work best.
An alternative would be to freeze them and then they should still come out nicely if you’re going to toast them.

As good as these look (and they look delish!), the Canadian in me tells you you MUST go to Montreal and have an actual Montreal bagel. There’s nothing better than going to a 24 hour a day shop that has no seating room and is take-out only. A bag of bagels, still warm from the wood stove, a container of cream cheese, a bench and a buddy! Perfection!